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Why Rick Mercer Won't Be Pursuing A Career In Politics Anytime Soon

"The rants are the part of the show that’s completely personal because I write the rants myself," celebrity speaker Rick Mercer explains in a Yahoo! interview. "I actually view [the rants] first and foremost as my job. Every week I make sure that the rant is done and if people think it’s personal that’s because it is. It’s not written by a group of funny people." Mercer just wrapped the 10th season of his award-winning show The Rick Mercer Report, where he delivers his trademark rants. With a penchant for politics and pop culture, Mercer has ranted about some of the most pressing issues-of-the-moment throughout the past ten seasons of his show. While he's passionate, poignant, and outspoken on many political issues, Mercer says he has little interest in taking his insight into politics directly.

"The first part of that is you have to know what you’re good at," Mercer explains. "You might take someone who you admire as a sports writer who covers baseball and they might be great at it, but that doesn’t mean they can pitch the World Series." However, if ever he did decide to make that leap, he says that his strongest attribute wouldn't be his witty banter or his "ability to turn a phrase." Rather, it would be the experiences he's had traversing the country, meeting hundreds of Canadians, and starting his own business that would be the most beneficial. More politicians should take time to have these experiences before running for office, he also argues, so that they have more to bring to the table than ambition alone.

For now at least, Mercer will continue to offer his hilariously on-point satire of everything great and irreverent about Canadian culture on his show and on the stage. Mercer has also compiled the best of his rants into the furiously funny and well-written A Nation Worth Ranting About. Whatever the venue, Mercer can target his material to make any audience laugh, ponder, and appreciate the issues facing our nation.